"Willard R. Abbott" is the sixth episode of Season Three of Abbott Elementary.
When the school is named a historic landmark, furious parents point out that Willard R. Abbott, the man the school is named after, is a racist. Desperate to fix the situation and keep the status as a historic landmark, Janine leads an investigation to find a different Willard R. Abbott. Janine, Gregory and Jacob's discovery of a promising new face fails in front of them, prompting Janine to find a way to honor the original black teachers of Abbott instead. Meanwhile, Barbra and Melissa try to get Janine to leave the situation alone.
Tropes in this episode include:
- As Himself: Bradley Cooper.
- Black-and-White Insanity: Upon learning of Willard R. Abbott's racist history, the staff considers renaming the school for a less problematic historical figure. This fails when they realize that there aren't many public figures who have a completely clean record. Even Willard R. Abbott V turns out to be a Flat Earth believer.
- Change the Uncomfortable Subject: Bradley Cooper brings up to Janine how her school district is criminally underfunded. She accepts this as a fact but tells him to shush so they can take a group picture.
- Cold Open: Melissa's Show and Tell takes a delightful interruption when her student Khalil brings Bradley Cooper in which she tells her friends about it.
- Comically Small Bribe: Janine gives Ava ten dollars just so she can be happy about her saving the school's legacy.
- Company Cross References: Bradley Cooper demonstrates his Rocket Racoon voice from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Abbott Elementary and the MCU share the parent company Disney.
- Continuity Nod: To Greg and Melissa's misfortune, Chief Education Officer Elizabeth Washington returns as part of the landmark certification ceremony. She also expresses annoyance that Greg never sent her flowers for his nomination.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Melissa threatens to kick city worker Joan down a flight of stairs for disrespecting Rocky.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Jacob tells his friends that they haven't looked up people named Willy R. Abott which should give them more options to choose from.
- Exact Words: While the two queens aren't happy about the upcoming ceremony, Barbara and Melissa assure Janine that they're happy that she's happy.
- Failed a Spot Check: Played With. None of the Abbott staff members did any research on who Willard R. Abbott was until a support group called B.L.A.C.K.S. appears to shed some light on his racist history. Even Jesuitical Jacob is aghast to realize that he never knew learned about him. However, Elizabeth and Joan were well aware of his past as a segregation supporter but went along with it since so many of Philadelphia's landmarks were named after horrible men.
- Famous for Being First: Janine discovers that the first black man to ever be hired as a teacher in Philadelphia, John Quincy Allen, would go to work at Abbott Elementary alongside a small but determined group of black teachers. And despite the adversity and racism they faced during their teaching years, they still persevered with their jobs and helped to break racial barriers.
- Foreshadowing:
- Parodied. Gregory openly wonders what the R. in Willard's name is. When B.L.A.C.K.S. show up to accuse the school of supporting a racist monster, Gregory comments that he knows what the R stands for.
- Played Straight when Janine mentions that she has a new library program she wants to start.
- Also, while researching Abbott's past, she finds a photo of a black teacher which was a rarity at the time given the ongoing racism. The photo proves to be a key to her resolution.
- Fun with Acronyms: Building Love And Kids' Safety
- Hidden Depths:
- Bradley Cooper is revealed to be a proponent of childhood education. When he learns Janine works for the school district, he starts grilling her about how criminally underfunded Abbott and the city's other schools are.
- Ava is surprisingly well educated with the benefits that come with being recognized as a historic landmark.
- I'm Your Worst Nightmare: Gregory thinks of Elizabeth Washington as his sleep paralysis demon who keeps him up at night.
- Just Here for Godzilla: In-Universe. After Captain Ava declares via intercom that there will be a pre-party for the historic landmark ceremony, it's the mention of pizza that gets the Abbot Elementarians (aka the kids) super excited.
- Leave the Two Lovebirds Alone: Picking up that Janine and Gregory have some catching up to do, Jacob leaves to find more research elsewhere to give them some privacy.
- My Significance Sense Is Tingling: Realizing the lack of response from Melissa and Barbara, Janine can tell that something is bothering them.Janine: There's a but. I can feel a but.
Ava: Damn. You freaky. - Noodle Incident: Melissa mentions how her great aunt's pastrami shop became a historical landmark after Dick Clark looked out one of the shop's windows.
- Pop-Cultural Osmosis Failure: While the adult characters all know who Bradley Cooper is, Barbara is once again confused on what films he's actually been in:Barbara: I just loved you in The Holdovers. It was just so heartwarming.
Gregory: It's The Hangover, and, no, it's not. - Sarcasm-Blind: After Elizabeth sarcastically replies that the Abbott can still save face if they find another non-problematic historical figure with the same name, Janine and Ava (who vouched on making Janine do it) accept the challenge.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Ava straight up leaves the plaque ceremony after the new Willard turns out to be a flat-Earth believer. She also makes sure to blame Janine before leaving.
- Skewed Priorities: Once everyone is fully informed of Willard's racist past, Ava declares that she's so mad... at B.L.A.C.K.S. for ruining her chances of turning the school into a landmark.
- The Stinger: After Janine's speech about Abbott's first black teachers, Jacob looks at the photo wonders which one was "the Jacob" only for Janine and Greg to tell him that none of them were. As they leave to let Mr. Johnson fix the crooked photo, Janine stays behind to see how touched he is to see the First Ones.
- Strange Minds Think Alike: Just before he's hauled away, the new Willard declares that the moon is a spaceship. Which is exactly what Mr. Johnson believed.Mr. Johnson (to Melissa): Told you. Real recognizes real.
- Sucky School: The Next Gen Trio learn some "interesting" facts about Abbott Elementary's history.
- Jacob learns that Abbott's basement was flooded throughout the 60s.
- Gregory discovers that a rabid owl made shelter in the school in the 80s.
- Tempting Fate: Ava encourages her work friends to ditch their upcoming meeting saying that Janine can't annoy them if she isn't here. Only a second later does Janine appear to start the meeting.
- Verbal Backpedaling: During the party, Elizabeth Washington almost refers to the event as a "press opportunity" but changes it to party.
